Self Reflection

      Learning the violin is a difficult task which involves a great deal of self-reflection and personal discovery.   A person who cannot harmonize with others, (that is, sing or play in tune) has not yet learned how to self-reflect.  To this individual, admitting that he is wrong is a difficult task because reflection has not yet been discovered as a means to improvement.  Those who succeed at the violin with advanced proficiency have intuitively learned that self-reflection is the only way to improve at such a trying instrument.   When students correct out of tune pitches, it shows me that they understand the role of reflection.  When a student does not correct intonation, even when playing with the aid of a tuner or keyboard,  it sends me a signal that he is still developing the ability to reflect upon his own sound in relation to the actual pitch.  If the student sings the piece and then begins to correct intonation, I know that he is honing the skill to hear his sound for what it really is.  

      But intonation is just the tip of the iceberg.  Violinists must be able to critique their practice habits, tone production, vibrato and considerably more.  This sort of personal reflection will no doubt carry over into other areas of their life.  The most brilliant of performers are those who have finely crafted the ability to listen critically to their own sound and take a necessary course of action to correct flaws.  A student who reaches a high level of ability, but does not pursue violin as a career, will unknowingly retain the capacity to “reflect and correct” in whatever avenue of life he may pursue.  To reflect upon oneself and to constantly correct those actions which do not serve positive purposes, is to discover a healthier, happier way of life.  

      Young children are capable of learning this ability early on, but only if the right example is set by parents and teachers.  It helps for the child to hear, “I was wrong. From now on I will not do that.” In this way, the adult sets an example for the child, who intuitively mimics the actions of adults.  It will not be a big deal for such a child to admit, “I was not in tune. From now on I will practice with more diligence.”